


The Scariest Gallagher of The All

by LadyEkaterina



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Fluff, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:54:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27085897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyEkaterina/pseuds/LadyEkaterina
Summary: Franny has nightmares and goes trick or treating
Relationships: Debbie Gallagher/Sandy Milkovich, Ian Gallagher & Mickey Milkovich, Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich
Comments: 24
Kudos: 137





	The Scariest Gallagher of The All

It started, as these things often do, with a throw away comment from Carl. Franny wanted to play hide and seek. Or, more accurately, she wanted to hide and have someone hunt her. She’d chosen Carl for the honour. He tried to set some boundaries.  
”OK Fran, but you can’t hide under the beds in my room.”  
Franny looked confused.  
“Why not Uncle Carl?” Franny still had a slight lisp that she sometimes emphasised after realising she could get away with more like that. Carl panicked for a brief moment. He knew Debbie would have his balls if he told the truth ‘There’s a lot of naked ladies under there. And one or two naked dudes.’ He looked at Franny’s wide eyes and said the first thing that came into his head.  
”There are monsters under there.”  
Franny nodded seriously. She knew all about monsters. The kids at preschool had discussed them endlessly. Under the bed, in the cupboard, hiding in the dark corners of the room...  
That night was the first time Franny had the nightmares. Debbie, Sandy and the rest of the clan were awoken by plaintive screams that eventually dissolved into loud sobs as Franny tried to explain to Debbie. That night Franny slept in between Debbie and Sandy. And the next. And the next. No amount of cajoling or telling Franny that monsters didn’t exist helped. She knew they did. Her uncle Carl had said so. And then Sandy went back to the Milkovich House to get a decent nights sleep, an irony not lost on Mickey.

This went on until Debbie was moved to working nights. Try as they would, no one could get Franny to sleep in her own bed. Liam and Ian turned to Carl.  
“You made this. You fix it!”  
Carl just shrugged and put his ear pods in.  
2 o’clock in the morning. Mickey and Ian had just finished a very satisfying couple of rounds and were getting back into bed after a thorough clean up. Ian curled around his husband and put his hand over Mickey’s when the scream hit.  
They waited to see if anyone else got up, but Mickey was already moving to extricate himself from his husband.  
“It’s ok, Mick. I’ll go.”  
”Nah Red. I’ve got an idea. Go to sleep.”  
Ian gratefully lay back down and watched Mickey grab sweats and a hoodie.  
“Thanks Mick”  
Mickey grinned and then hot footed it next door to where Franny was sitting up in her bed, sobbing. The night light at the end of her bed gave a blue glow of a crescent moon into the room. Mickey walked over to her and sat on the bed..  
”Hey little red” he said softly and opened his arms. Franny threw herself into him and he patted her and stroked her hair until the sobs had turned to snotty gulps.  
Mickey pulled back.  
”Monsters under the bed again?” He asked. She nodded. He looked serious.  
”OK Franny I tell you what. I’m gonna go under the bed and have a word OK? I’m a Milkovich. You know what that means?”  
Franny had heard people talk about her family before and she wasn’t stupid.  
”It means you’re fierce.” Franny had learnt a new word for bad ass.  
“That’s right. And I reckon any monster worth it’s salt will have heard of me. So I’m just going to introduce myself.”  
Then Mickey got off the bed and wriggled underneath it. He said in a clear firm voice.  
”Attention all monsters. My name is Mickey Milkovich. You might of heard of me. If not, ask your monster friends. The kid in this bed is under my protection and you don’t wanna know what will happen to you if anything happens to her. Do we understand each other?” He brushed his hands across the floor to make the sounds of monsters leaving the vicinity.  
”Good.”  
Mickey pushed himself out and brushed himself off. Franny was looking at him like he hung that moon nightlight.  
“Ready to go to sleep?”  
She nodded, eyes already half closed. Mickey held the comforter open for her and she snuggled in. He kissed the top of her head and went back to his own room.  
Ian was asleep and yet as soon as he crept back under the covers, he was thoroughly embraced and enveloped. Mickey smiled, kissed his husbands hand and fell asleep.

\---

October was marching on and there was a Gallagher costume frenzy going on. Debbie had begged, cajoled and then bribed Ian and Mickey to take Franny and Liam trick or treating. Lip said he’d come along too with Fred, who had a very fetching pumpkin outfit from his grandmother. Carl knew he was too old but the chance of free candy was too much for him so it looked like a family outing was gonna be planned.  
The Gallagher men had at least made an effort, Dracula, Frankensteins Monster and The Mummy. Liam had chosen Jimi Hendrix and was sporting lurid spandex, big hair and sunglasses. Mickey, as expected, looked as he always did in black jeans, a black T and black and white checked shirt. He folded his arms.  
“I’m your fuckin minder!” He said looking at the motley crew.  
Debbie and Franny had been upstairs for ages now but finally Debbie appeared.  
“She’s ready!”  
They all looked up the stairs expectantly. Eventually, Franny appeared. She was wearing jeans with her winter boots, a black t shirt and a cute checked shirt over. Her hair was tucked up under a beanie. She looked like  
”Mickey?” Ian asked incredulously.  
Debbie grinned.  
”She wouldn’t be anything else!”  
Mickey looked at his tiny doppelgänger and felt the weight of every Gallagher present staring at him. He raised a fist.  
”Looking good there little red”  
Franny bumped fists with him, beaming at the appreciation of her idol. Mickey saw the words “HUG U UP” had been drawn on her knuckles.  
”OK, I gotta go” said Debs grabbing her bag.  
”Take lots of pics please!”  
She ran out the door.

The gang went out armed with pumpkin baskets. At every house, they got the “Ooh” followed by “and what are you supposed to be?”  
And at every house Franny announced. “I’m my uncle Mickey.” And she gestured behind her. “He’s the scariest thing I know. He scared away all the monsters from under my bed.”  
Well that only got more “oohs” and the odd “awww”and ever so often, an extra handful of candy.  
after a couple of hours traipsing around, Freddy was fussing and Franny was starting to lag behind. Mickey scooped her up and caught up with the rest. Lip looked at the little girl who had her head on Mickey’s shoulder and was trying her damndest to keep her eyes open.  
“Hey guys? I reckon it’s time to be heading back.” Ian looked fondly at his husband and his niece and nodded. As they walked home, Mickey noticed he was hearing little snores from his shoulder and the sound gave him a warm feeling inside. Ian put his arm around him.  
”Happy Halloween Mickey Squared” he whispered, dropping a kiss on Mickey’s cheek.  
”Right back atcha Gallagher”


End file.
